LOVE NEVER FAILS - by Elijah & Sierra Breon

There are so many things to do each day, each week, each month. We can get so focused on the tasks that are in front of us that we miss connecting with the people around us, especially those who don’t know Christ. The only thing that is eternal in our everyday lives is the love that is given and received in relationships. Love is eternal and when we choose to give even the smallest bit of love that we have to those around us, we invest into eternity. “Love never fails...” ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬a NKJV‬‬ There are so many people around us everyday who have never known the love of Christ, never experienced the kindness and intentionality of our Father. We seek the kingdom first when we choose to turn our hearts outward to serve the needs of those around us how ever shall they might seem. It can be as simple as having a conversation with those that we work with, praying for the homeless, or giving space for people around us to be vulnerable.  Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭40‬ ‭ESV‬‬ When we choose to love another, we are choosing to love God.  So, the challenge for us, love-filled children of God, is to turn our hearts in affection towards a world in pain and darkness, and to trust that as we give, God will bring the fruit.   “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

LIVING AS OVERCOMERS - by Brent Lokker

Even the title of this article implies that you have something to overcome. That something would be the enemy’s lies and accusations to you about who you are and about how to process what is happening in your life.   Let’s begin with the truth: God is exceptionally kind and everything he does is good—Always. He is light and in him there is no darkness—Ever. You belong to God—Eternally. No one can snatch you out of his hands—Not the enemy and not even you on your worst day. All things are being worked into something good in your life—All things means all things.   The enemy will try to plant ideas in your mind that are contrary to what you just read. Not to fret—Jesus has already overcome the enemy and you are one with Jesus!   So, our greatest obstacle to joining Jesus in his overcoming victory is simply to agree with the Trinity’s assessment of truth even when we have a thought that is contrary. Only the problem is that doesn’t always feel so simple when the lies feel so real.   Lies and accusations can sound like a myriad of things, but it might sound something like this: “Why is everything seem to work against me?” (Poor me! I’m a victim.) “How come evil is winning?” (We’re doomed! Nothing matters.) “How can you put up with me, God?” (I’m damaged and unlovable ) “Aren’t you sick of me by now?” (Let me sabotage this relationship before you cut me off!) “If you really loved me, you would change this or that in my life.” (Why don’t you care?)   So, what do we do with thoughts that are contrary to God’s truth? We bring them to Jesus and allow him to show us what is real and what is a fraud, because on our own it’s impossible to do. Remember: “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)   Here’s Paul’s description of what that looks like to bring those faulty thoughts to Jesus: “The dynamic of our strategy is revealed in God’s ability to disengage mindsets and perceptions that have held people captive in pseudo fortresses for centuries. Every lofty idea and argument positioned against God’s knowledge of us is cast down and exposed to be a mere invention of our own imagination. We arrest every thought as spear point—anything that could possibly trigger an opposing threat to our redeemed identity and innocence is taken captive. The caliber of our weapon is empowered by the revelation of the ultimate consequence of the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 (Mirror)   In your struggles, don’t try harder, but instead give in quicker to Christ-in-you. “Jesus, I can’t do this, but you’ve already won every battle for me, so I trust you to lead me into a place of freedom from the thoughts that have tried to hold me captive.”   Exercise: Sit with Jesus and ask him what lies you’ve been believing. Wait until you have a sense of what that is. Now, agree with Jesus-in-you that these lies have no hold on you and renounce them (“I don’t agree with the lie that…” speak it out loud) Next, ask Jesus to reveal to you what the truth is instead. His truth is the only one that sets you free! (speak out loud the truth he reveals)   Remember that this freedom comes over time as we agree more and more with the truth of who God sees us as, so give yourself plenty of grace and choose to trust that God is bringing to completion what he begun in you just as he promised he would!   With Love,   Pastor Brent

BACK TO THE BEGINNING: AWAKENING TO THE LIKENESS OF WHO WE REALLY ARE - by Joel Pollard

Genesis 1:26-28 in The Message says, “God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature (likeness). So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth. God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.” God’s ultimate achievement was to reproduce Himself in Genesis. When He wanted to make us, He spoke to the substance from which we were made and spoke to Himself and said, “Us”, bring forth man—our image, our likeness. Mankind’s first conscious moment is when “God blessed man”. The Hebrew here is barach, meaning “kneel, act of adoration”, so when someone wanted to honor somebody else, they’d kneel and bear gifts, bringing gifts to honor. The first thing God did when He first created us is He adored us. The most natural thing for beings that are made in the image and likeness of God is to reflect adoration that they receive. The only accurate way to value our Creator is to reflect the adoration and honor that He gives us. The matter of the fact started with the lie in the Garden. Adam and Eve were already like God. They fellowshipped with God in the middle of the evening but the serpent tricked them, “If you eat of this, you’ll be like God”. They were tricked and bought into the lie of the very thing that they already were—they already had the likeness of the Father, Son & Spirit. In looking at The Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil, our mindsets can tend to trick us to the point where we think if we can eat off that tree, that we would be like God. What is happening when we do this? We’re trying to become who we already are; we’re trying to acquire the fullness that’s already in us; if I can just do this one thing or try harder, then maybe it will be enough to be acceptable or worthy before God. We need to believe the truth about ourselves that reveals our authenticity of who we really are, rather than the lies that have no value and keeps us in a counterfeit-mindset of captivity. How does God do that? Through being part of a healthy family, healthy connections, vulnerability, honesty, transparency, receiving unadulterated love, learning, unlearning lots of things and being led by Holy Spirit. If we allow the perception in our minds that God is withholding the Tree of Life because He wants it for Himself, obviously this Tree of Life, God desires above all other trees, then the tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil becomes the most desirable tree there is because we’re reflecting the desires we perceive. When we lose sight of God, we start looking at and reflecting one another. The truth is that we are made as beings to reflect. The purpose for likeness is to introduce us into the place of the greatest intimacy where adoration is met with adoration; where affirmation is met with affirmation; where love is received, reproduced and reflected back; where the creative movements within God finds a creative resonance within us. The Holy Spirit is resounding to us in our heart, “Quit trying to become who you already are”. Until we realize that we’re enough, we’ll keep pretending to be what we’re not. It’s not about trying to become, it’s about knowing who we already are. The only agenda God has is to set us free, to be fully and truly ourselves. He has no suspicion towards His own image and likeness. What is the Magnificent Trinity revealing and restoring to us? The glory of the perfect Garden where we live and thrive from a place of wholeness, of purpose, calling, destiny that we were formed with before the foundation of the world, formed in the likeness and image of the Father, Son & Spirit. It has always been God’s plan, desire and design for us all along to live from the  Garden of Glory. We are to rule and reign in this world. to incarnate Jesus in this world for it is, “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). When we no longer say “yes” to things our spirits are saying “no” to, that’s the beginning of eating from the Tree of Life. Holy Spirit, thank you for continuing to lead and guide us into our very likeness where we live, move and have our being. In the words of Wm Paul Young, “Thank you Holy Spirit, and we’ll have more please.” With Love, Joel

HAPPY TREASURE HUNTING! - by Suzanne Lokker

Back in the early days of my faith journey, while sitting around dinner one night, my pastor friend, Danny, asked me “What do you want to do?” The question was asked with regard to ministry goals. It took me forever to respond—wrestling with an answer that I wanted to be integrous to what was in my heart. Finally, at the end of the evening I blurted out, “I want to call out treasures in people!” Little did I understand then, that what I was declaring would be both the catalyst and rallying cry in my heart that leads me into Papa’s heart for His children. I received a glimpse of what the prophetic is. Simply put, I had prophesied over myself! I didn’t know that that was what I had done since my grid for the prophetic was at the preschool level at best at the time! I listened to a message from Dano McCollam on Prophesy’s Purpose that helped me more in my understanding of the prophetic. (Bethel Church, August 6, 2023, Dano McCollam) Dano elaborated on some points that he found for prophesying. I’ll list the four points here and you can listen to the message on Bethel TV or on YouTube. “4 Reasons Why God Wants Every Son and Daughter to Prophesy” Restore dignity Reveal identity Revive and Refresh the weary (1 Corinthians 14:3) Release the new thing (Isaiah 42:9) The journey into Papa’s heart is always a good journey to be on. What you will discover on that journey--as you are courageous enough to embark on it—is how much your heart beats like His. And you will see how His love in you is expressed and flows so uniquely through you! I believe in our prophetic culture we call each other up into greatness. The more we agree with the treasure we are as Papa God sees us, the more we are able to see and call out the treasure in those around us.   Happy Treasure Hunting!

DIVINE OBJECTIVITY - by Bill Hernandez

I have been hearing in my mind over and over that scripture in Phil 4:8 on having our minds dwell on various good things and that peace would follow. In the past I have always seen that scripture as a kind of self pep talk exercise or a way to get my mind out of negative or impure thoughts. It was a way of sanitizing my brain before the Lord. Recently though the Lord has provided a different angle to this scripture. He showed me that when He speaks, for me to affirm what He is saying as true and that when I actually do, peace and calm truly do follow. For instance any time I am experiencing trauma or drama in my thoughts and emotions, He may say, “All is well. I am here. Be still and know that I am God.” In actually repeating and affirming what He said such as, “I believe you Lord that all is truly well and that you are with me. I chose to believe you and not any of the negative stuff that is coming up inside me. Thank you for being on my side.” I then found all the trauma and drama fade away and then I would be okay because I believed His truth rather than my inner lies! He then showed me that the “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy…” were actually all the things He was currently saying to me – rhema words, the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking at the present moment. His words are true and noble, etc.. I then just declare that I believe Him and then He does the rest bringing peace, calm, wisdom, understanding and anything else that brings me into what I call Divine Objectivity. Try it. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:4-8

Click to visit Bill's site: Whisperoflove.org

FREE INDEED - by Bill Hernandez

- Galatians  5:1 - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ********* We have all the time in world to work through our issues before the Lord without fear because the Lord is fully dedicated to our freedom and wholeness. All we need to do is remain connected to Him through all our processes and never bail out. Life dominating issues may not resolve themselves according to our time table or the time table of our friends and families. The Lord doesn’t have a time limit on when we resolve various issues. We need to adjust our expectations in light of what we might be dealing with. Deep brokenness that has been around for decades, could take many years to overcome because there are so many deep facets of our lives that the Lord is working on. If you were abused as a child, working through trust issues could take many years to resolve into adulthood. Various addictions that have dominated your life can also take many years to work through. It could be behavioral issues such as anger, pride or sexual habits. It’s not unusual for there to be many fall backs along the way. This is where many people can withdraw from the Lord because they may disqualify themselves thinking He has as well. If you keep on falling, you have not committed the unpardonable sin, nor have you been given over to the devil or that you are truly a lost cause. We are our worse judge through perfectionism and legalism. This could arise from self loathing, self acceptance issues, self hatred, guilt, shame, self condemnation among others where we put ourselves in the dog house. We may feel that the Lord has gotten fed up with us or is deeply disappointed because we keep on making mistakes in our walk. Nothing could be further from the truth. You may need compassionate counseling, comfort, care, prayer, discipleship and support. The Lord is all for it for you. What is so amazing is the truth of Gal 5:1 that Jesus set the stage for us to become free. We have over arching permission to work out our stuff under the umbrella of freedom in Jesus. It will surely lead to more freedom. Our freedom in Him leads us to freedom that begets more freedom. We are on the freedom road!! If you are struggling, in the midst of that you are under Him where in time you will get more and more victory and change. In I John 3:5-6 it says, “But you know that He appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning.” You have a relationship with Him and you may feel it’s not perfect. No worries because you are living in Him. Since you live in Him, guaranteed your life will change bit by bit, week by week, month by month, year by year, decade by decade. All the while if you stumble and get back up, you are changing and your freedom in Him is shining brighter and brighter. He always says to get back up and keep on going. In Mat 7:7-11 is says to keep on seeking, knocking and asking and that our Father in heaven will indeed give us good gifts. Be persistent in asking Him to help you with whatever it is. Be convinced that you are in His arms no matter what because you belong to Him. His perfect love doesn’t involve punishment. If you make a mistake, He will not reject you. Don’t reject you either then. Always run back to Him and let Him hold you. Get back up and keep on loving those around you. You aren’t a phony. You are a man or woman who is growing up and taking up your true self in Him and you are always filled with the Holy Spirit. Keep on practicing His presence by always coming to Him with openness and confession. His presence is the hope of restoration and growth. If you hang around Him, His light will rub off on you so get up and keep on dialoguing with Him. Such is the freedom we have in Jesus. You are adored by Him. Be blessed in your freedom walk! Bill Hernandez

WHAT DOES CHURCH LOOK LIKE? - by Karena Lout

“Let love and kindness be the motivation behind all that you do.” 1 Corin. 16: 14 (TPT)   “Agape is your genesis. Loving everyone around you is what you are all about.” (The Mirror) Last Saturday was our Back to School/ Family Day event. We gave away 55 backpacks, school supplies and clothes to children in our community. It was such a great day! At one point, I looked around the room and there were children playing, a few moms receiving prayer, a little girl getting her face painted, parents connecting and a lot of fun. I thought to myself, “this is church!” We tend to think church needs to consist of a worship set and a message. But throughout the bible, the church is never defined by a service or a building. It’s the people.   We’ve all wondered what revival looks like. Sometimes we’re waiting for a promise that could be right in front of us. Maybe it won’t come in the form we thought it would. God is always bigger than the boxes we try to build around him. Revival can simply be allowing God to soften your heart toward someone you’ve been offended with. It can look like loving your neighbor well. I encourage you to ask Jesus what it looks like in your life.    Thank you again for your generous donations, love, help and support! You each shine so brightly.   With so much love and gratitude, Karena